Taking into account chronic wounds and hospital acquired infections which amount to over 6.5 million occurrences per year, there is a clear economic and medical incentive to making the wound healing process faster and less susceptible to infection. Diabetics are especially prone to chronic wounds often contract deadly infections on their skin and tissues due to higher glucose levels and an impaired immune response to different pathogens.
Cold atmospheric plasma can be used to decontaminate most surfaces without damaging the material of the surface being treated. Since its effects are superficial and not bulk it's easy to implement and control. Limited doses on the order of minutes are enough to generate a considerable disinfection/sterilization effect. In recent years applications of plasma for wound disinfection and healing have received a lot of attention. Multiple researchers have shown the beneficial effects of plasma based tools like the plasma needle and the plasma torch for wound and instrument sterilization.
Plasma devices based on their ability to use atmospheric air and produce reactive nitrogen and oxygen species along with various products like ozone and nitric oxide, can not only help decontaminate the wound of any pathogens but also accelerate wound healing without damaging the surrounding healthy tissue.
Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) is a type plasma generation process wherein plasma is created due to the accumulation of charge on one side of a dielectric medium between two electrodes. The dielectric medium does not permit the passage of charge which, in turn, develops to oppose the applied electric field until the field is balanced. This migration of charge and generation of ions in the process continue till the charge stops growing and the discharge extinguishes. This process of charge accumulation in the form of plasma is a very ephemeral process and the discharge time span is on the order of seconds. The prior art teaches a mesh made of a plasma wire where two wires are placed orthogonally, thus restricting the plasma formation to the junctions between two wires of opposite polarity.
Others have proposed a design for internal treatment in the form of a probe or a balloon and a cuff for external exposure. The design uses elastic materials but this approach has the risk of cracking metallic contacts as these might not be stretchable. Also, one of the electrodes needs to be grounded.
All these designs also restrict the ability of the plasma generating surface to be exposed to water or liquids, as the exposed electrode may be corroded or damaged.
Heretofore, as is well known in the wound healing and infection prevention arts there has been a need for an invention that is designed to overcome the disadvantages of prior art approaches. Accordingly it should now be recognized, as was recognized by the present inventors, that there exists, and has existed for some time, a very real need for a system that would address and solve the above described and other problems.
Before proceeding to a description of the present invention, however, it should be noted and remembered that the description of the invention which follows, together with the accompanying drawings, should not be construed as limiting the invention to the examples (or embodiments) shown and described. This is so because those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains will be able to devise other forms of this invention within the ambit of the appended claims.